6-day-old Mesa baby gets heart transplant in Phoenix – AZCentral

Baby Oliver was six days old and seven weeks premature when doctors gave him a new heart.

(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Parents were warned their baby might be born stillborn

Baby Oliver was six days old and seven weeks premature when doctors gave him a new heart

One month after his heart transplant, baby Oliver is slowly recovering

Chris Crawford reached his hand to the blanket that covered his premature son, carefully avoiding the tubing and wiring. Oliver rested his tiny pink fingers on his father’s forefinger and his eyes flickered for a moment.

Small moments like this are miraculous milestones for parents who were warned time and again that their baby may not live.

“We kept saying if we just get to hold him for one minute. That’s all we ask. Just one minute with our son,” said Caylyn Otto, Oliver’s mom Monday from his dimly lit hospital room. “Every minute more we get is a blessing.”

Caylyn and Chris believe their baby has been fighting for his life since before he was born on Jan. 5.

Caylyn was 20 weeks pregnant when doctors first noticed during a prenatal exam that something wasn’t right with Oliver’s heart.

He was born premature at 33 weeks. He was six days old when he underwent a heart transplant at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Hospital officials believe Oliver is the youngest heart recipient in the nation.

Caylyn and Chris, of Mesa, prayed for their baby’s life while he was in surgery. They watched the clock. They checked their phone for text messages the hospital sent to update them.

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Welcome to Transplant Families

Who are we. We are a group of transplant families just like you. Our kids have seen more in childhood than most of us will in a lifetime. They are gifted life through our real life super heroes, their donors. And us as families (dads, moms, sisters, brothers and so many more) get to be with
our transplant kids in this crazy new journey in life.
We are here to offer hope. Hope told through the stories of fellow families who have been there before us. We are hoping that in these stories, we can find strength, courage and resolve.
In addition to links to amazing stories of other transplant families, we are offering resource links to many different community resources all here to help us. It really does take a village. And between our family, extended family we call our transplant team and so many others out there willing to help, there is so much knowledge and so many great experiences to be had.
Hopefully you will find these helpful in your own journey.
Your first source of information should ALWAYS be your transplant team and mainly your transplant coordinator. They have a vast knowledge of all things related to transplant.
They are your child’s first advocate outside of yourself.